Bairstow leaves India tour for family reasons

Jonny Bairstow has returned home early from England's tour of India for family reasons, joining a growing exodus of England players who have departed early.

Bairstow was left out England's first Twenty20 International in Pune, where Jos Buttler was preferred as wicket-keeper. He discovered during the match that he was needed at home and left immediately. He was due to arrive in the UK on Friday morning.

England will need to recover from their five wicket defeat in Pune, where they failed to build on Alex Hales's impressive 26-ball 50.

It completed an unrewarding pre-Christmas spell in India for Bairstow, who batted only once in the Test series, making 9 in the second Test in Mumbai before losing his place because of perceived limitations on turning pitches.

Buttler's inclusion was one of England's few bright spots as he made an international-best 33 in England's five-wicket defeat.

A brief statement from the ECB read: "Jonny Bairstow has gone home today from India tour for family reasons."